While international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations may still seem remote to most Americans, those institutions symbolize the increasing integration of a planet that deeply needs capable, trusted and farsighted guidance. Not so long ago, the United States was known as the "indispensable nation," the one that could be relied upon to lead in times of crisis. That forfeited reputation is not only the world's loss, but ours as well.
Cronyism, neglect, corruption, rigidity and plain stupidity -- perpetrated by figures who had billed themselves (and were billed by the mainstream media) as the geniuses of our time -- have exacted an awesome toll on the inheritance we received from previous generations. Our heritage of world leadership in the last century was built not upon military power alone, but arose from economic, diplomatic and moral foundations that somehow survived despite many earlier mistakes and even crimes.
